A top NC Republican lawmaker announces early resignation

State Rep. Jon Hardister will resign next month from the legislative seat he's held for over a decade, he told colleagues Thursday in a formal letter of resignation.

A Republican from Guilford County, Hardister has served in the North Carolina House of Representatives since he was in his 20s, coming to office in the 2010 Tea Party wave that swept the Republican Party into power. He has risen in the ranks to become part of House GOP leadership, currently serving as deputy whip — a position tasked with helping make sure fellow Republicans vote the party line.

"I am proud of what we have accomplished in the NC House," Hardister wrote in his letter of resignation. "During my time in office, I was able to play a role in lowering our tax burden, paying off billions of dollars in debt, creating a budget surplus and helping to make North Carolina the best state for business."

His last day will be April 8, just a few weeks before this year's legislative session is scheduled to begin in late April. The Guilford County Republican Party will be tasked with picking a temporary replacement to serve until the winner of the November election for his district is sworn in next year.

Hardister's departure from the legislature comes nine months earlier than anticipated. He didn't run for re-election this year, so his term would've been up at the end of the year. The November election for Hardister's seat will pit Democrat Tanneshia Dukes, a former assistant principal, against Republican Alan Branson, a trucking business owner and former Guilford County Commissioner.

Hardister ran for North Carolina Labor Commissioner instead, seeking to replace Josh Dobson, the GOP incumbent who chose not to seek re-election after one term in office. Dobson replaced another former Republican labor commissioner, Cheri Berry, in the 2020 elections.

But Hardister lost the GOP primary earlier this month to Raleigh lawyer Luke Farley, a political newcomer who ran on a campaign promise to "Make Elevators Great Again" — a nod to his allegiance to former Republican President Donald Trump as well as to the labor commissioner's duty to inspect elevators in North Carolina, in addition to many other duties. Farley will now face will face Democratic challenger and former Charlotte city council member Braxton Winston.

In his letter Thursday, Hardister said he's now looking to find work in the private sector and spend more time with his family, but added that he hasn't ruled out a future return to politics.

'Serving in the NC House has been the honor of a lifetime," he wrote.